The Perfect Cake
by susan22
Summary: A Story about Watanuki, Doumeki and a birthday cake...Please R
1. The Perfect Cake

**Title: **The Perfect Cake

**Series: **XXXHolic

**Spoilers: **Not really (unless you don't know about Himawari)

**Paring: **Watanuki&Doumeki

**Summary: **It's Watanuki's B-Day! A fic to celebrate this special day - if you ever wondered why Watanuki is the only one who can bake his own birthday cake - here you go…

**Beta Reader: **JadeDragonHawk

**The Perfect Cake**

Like every year, the first of April came with one Watanuki Kimihiro slaving over the kitchen in the early morning, preparing his latest masterpiece - his own birthday cake!

Yep, today was his birthday, and just like last year, once again he's the one who's doing all the work! But unlike last year, this year he didn't complain about the injustice - in fact he was very happy to make his own cake. During the past year he had thought a lot about himself and the people surrounding him, and this year he was going to celebrate his birthday with all his special people. So he wanted to make his cake extra special - after all he was the only one capable of it as Doumeki had pointed out to him just yesterday…

Watanuki had just finished his work at Yuuko's when he met Doumeki outside. While previously he would have yelled and shouted that he was perfectly capable of walking home by himself, now he knew better, so he just let Doumeki walk him home. He didn't know how it happened, but somewhere down the road, Watanuki said, seemingly out of nowhere: "I wish someone would bake me a cake".

He didn't mean to say it out loud - but now that he had, he wanted to look everywhere but at Doumeki's eyes, which were staring at him with such unreadable look - he was going to change the subject, when Doumeki said "Who?"

He was shocked at first - he thought Doumeki would tease him, but after he got over the shock, he started to think about it. The first name that came out of his mouth was of course Himawari-Chan, but Doumeki immediately pointed out that even if Himawari did make him a cake, he wouldn't be able to eat it. As much as he hated to admit it, the other boy was right. Doumeki, noticing his sad face, had decided to continue to list all the people who couldn't make him a cake:

Kohane-Chan was too little to bake a cake, so she was out.

He doubted the Zashiki Warashi could bake a cake.

Moro and Maru were out too, since they also didn't have the ability to cook - at least from what he had heard from Watanuki's complaints.

Although he thought Yuuko might be able to make a cake, he was doubtful if it would be edible for anyone without a high alcohol tolerance…

"…if you really want someone to bake you a cake - I could give it a try".

When Doumeki said these words Watanuki felt his brain go blank; Doumeki, bake him a cake? While the cake wouldn't bring him bad luck and wouldn't be drowning in unbelievable amounts of alcohol, still the thought of Doumeki baking him a cake... It was something that made his heart, for inexplicable reasons, beat a little bit faster, and his hands start to sweat - was it warmer than it was before? He sure did feel hot for some unknown reason - and Doumeki staring at him like that didn't help him very much.

In the end he shouted that Doumeki would probably burn down the temple if he ever attempted to cook anything - and even if he did manage to make something remotely edible, it would probably taste horrible. No, if he wanted a cake he'd just have to make it on his own - that way at least it would be safe. By the time he finished his rant, they had already made it to his apartment door (when did they get there?), and Watanuki was just about to say goodbye when Doumeki did the unthinkable - he kissed him!

It was just a light touch of Doumeki's lips on his own, it was so light and short (far too short) - that if he wasn't there he probably wouldn't have noticed it. But he was, and as light and brief as the kiss was, it left Watanuki shocked to the core - Doumeki had just kissed him!

He was still in shock, when he heard Doumeki calling that he should consider this as a replacement for the unmade cake. At hearing this Watanuki didn't know what he should feel more - anger or this new feeling of, dare he say it, disappointment.

The next day, when he woke up, he thought of all that had happened during the passing year - more importantly yesterday, and he came to realize that, today was going to be different. He didn't need anyone to make him a cake - after all as Doumeki had pointed out to him, no one was really capable of it - it was fine with him. But more importantly, the one person who seemed to be somewhat capable of making him a birthday cake was offering him something - that after much consideration - was much better.

Watanuki made sure that this year's cake would be the best cake he'd ever made - after all this time he had to make sure that there would be a fair exchange; if there was something he learned from Yuuko it was that if someone made a bargain, the quality of each offering should be the some.

Yep, he's going to make sure the exchange would be fair - after all his cake should be worth much more than some unmade cake…

**A/N: to tell you the truth originally I didn't plan on putting so much Doumeki&Watanuki (the ending was totally unplanned) but I don't know - maybe it's because I feel a little sick, or maybe because I'm such a fangirl - but that's what came up - hope you enjoyed reading!**


	2. The Perfact Cake II

**Title: **The Perfect Cake II

**Series: **XXXholic

**Spoilers:** if you haven't read past chapter 174

**Rating: **PG

**Characters:** Watanuki, Doumeki (mention of others)

**Summery:** Last year I wrote a story called "The Perfect Cake" - this is its sequel, and though I think you can read this on its own, reading the first story might make this one clearer.

**Beta Reader: **JadeDragonHawk

**Author's Note: **originally I wanted to post this on Watanuki's birthday i.e. yesterday but unfortunately I wasn't inspired enough and wasn't able to write anything until today… I originally didn't plan to write this as a sequel to my other story, but as uphill as it was I'm quite happy with this.

**The Perfect Cake II**

Like the year before, this year was unusual…While last year he had been celebrating his birthday with his special people, this year was different. This year Yuuko was gone - and not just her, for Mokona and the girls had all disappeared. It been a few months now, but he still believed they would all return someday - at least he hoped so.

Right now he was standing in Yuuko's shop (though it was starting to feel more like his home these days…), fixing his own birthday cake. There were no summons from Mokona and Yuuko for more sake and no girls running around distracting him; but it was alright, he still had his special people to celebrate his birthday with. Kohane-Chan and Himawari had been decorating the garden and setting the table while that Doumeki was standing near the door of the kitchen watching him - not that he was distracted by that - no he had matured, he'd grown past the urge to smack Doumeki and chase him out of the kitchen…

After last year he had grown much more accustomed to Doumeki's stalker nature; now while Doumeki stood near the door he did nothing, and paid no attention to him. He so wasn't paying attention to what Doumeki was doing that when Doumeki started to move, he didn't even tilt his head toward the window so he could watch where that idiot was going… Well okay only for a second; but only because he thought he'd heard something fall outside and wanted to check everything was alright - and he might have glimpsed Doumeki moving - apparently if he were to judge, toward him. Yet he did nothing because he had matured and had grown used to Doumeki's creepy ways of standing just behind him without making a sound. No, he wasn't going to react, even if Doumeki was going to grab him - as he sometimes did. He wouldn't react - besides it was only the two of them in the kitchen, so it would be okay, even if Doumeki did decide to spring one of his kisses - he wouldn't react! Well he might participate - after all it was only courteous to kiss back when someone is kissing you, especially if the one kissing you was your boyfriend - kinda… They hadn't really discussed this, but he was pretty convinced that was what they were; besides Himawari had called Doumeki his boyfriend, and if she said so then that was they were - he thought… Anyway it was alright; he was prepared - there was nothing Doumeki could do that would make him lose his temper, he was prepared, he was ready he was…

"YOU IDIOT! Who said you could lick the spoon! Have you got no manners!!! Didn't you see that I was using this spoon! How dare you lick that spoon - is this is why you've been creeping up behind me, you utterly ungrateful fool? Don't you have anything better to do than licking my spoon?! You don't? Why don't you…"

At that point Doumeki decided that yes he did have something better to do and kissed one Watanuki Kimihiro - a method that seemed to calm his boyfriend (though he thought life partner sounded much better) quite a lot - he had learned that during their year together… After all Kimihiro tasted much better than any cake he could ever make - though he still ate the cake. To not eat it would just be bad manners…


	3. The Perfact Cake 2 point 5

**Title: **The Perfect Cake 2.5

**Series: **XXXHolic

**Spoilers: **only if you haven't read up to Ch.186

**Paring: **Watanuki&Doumeki (established)

**Rating: **I really tried to make it a R but after almost spontaneous combusting I gave up…

**Summary: **I saw this picture **(go to my profile for the link – you HAVE to see it!)** and my inner Yuuko told me to write the story, so I did…

**Beta Reader:** x_mog (LJ)

**Arthur Note: **Two years ago I wrote a story in honor of Watanuki's birthday, and a year ago I found myself writing a sequel. Would I write anther story this April? I don't know. I'll have to wait and see what my inspiration tells me on the first of April. Writing this story I felt compelled to write it as an extension to my 'perfect cake' world even though you can read this without the first two – I hope you'll read it anyway.

**T****he Perfect Cake 2.5**

It's been a week since Yuuko has gone and the girls have come back. A week since Watanuki had decided to stay at the shop and wait for Yuuko to return. It's been a week full of grieving and sorrow.

"It has to stop."

Doumeki had said that to him, on the first day of the second week after they found out Yuko wouldn't be coming back. Watanuki knew deep inside him that he was right and that he was worried about him – a feeling that made him feel warm inside and disturbed at the same time. He didn't know what to do – if he were Yuuko he would drink himself silly…but he wasn't her. Even if he has now become the shop owner, he wasn't her. He won't drink Sake, not yet, not for a while...

So he did what he did best – he cooked. He made all the snacks Mokona and the girls ever wanted plus a separate range of snacks purely for Doumeki's consumption.

Now all that had left was the cake. It has to be just right. Watanuki decided to do a five layered cake; its height would even suppress Doumeki's height! He made the cakes into perfection and made all the right decorations. All that he had to do now was to put the cakes in order.

The first three cakes were no problem to put on top of each other and for the forth cake he had to use a stool to reach. The problem lay in the fifth cake – the stool was useless and to get the ladder meant he had to leave the kitchen, which meant that the girls or Mokona – or in the worst case scenario both the girls **and** Mokona, would come to the kitchen. He really didn't want to think what kind of disaster they would make to his cake – never mind that he made it for them.

Luckily a solution had appeared before he even had time to think of the possibility of putting the stool on top of a chair without breaking every bone in his body or worse fall on the cake… It was the startling 'Oi' that let him know that his stoic boyfriend had arrived in his kitchen. And if he wasn't mistaken, which he almost never was on this particular subject, he knew that his boyfriend was now giving him 'The Stare'; that intense gaze that he usually reserved for either a) eating (mainly Watanuki's cooking) or b) Watanuki himself.

It seems to Watanuki that 'The Stare' would intensify even more when he was wearing an apron. It was probably the prospect of the soon to be consumed food that made Doumeki look like he can't wait to devour whatever Watanuki has made. Honestly his boyfriend is pig – you would think Watanuki never bothered to feed him!

Anyway, Doumeki seems to come to the same conclusion that Watanuki had made a few seconds ago and offered his help which turned out to be Watanuki sitting on top of Doumeki's shoulders holding the final cake. He was rearranging the roses on the top of the cake when his cooking instinct (an instinct one can only develop from years of dealing with Yuuko, Mokona and Doumeki on the subject of food), told him that Doumeki has gotten a taste from the glaze of the cake – his cake! This of course led to Watanuki yelling, which in turn had distracted Doumeki which led to our boys to falling down to the floor – though fortunately no harm had come to the cake.

Watanuki was furious, though not as furious as he would have been if anything had happened to his cake. He was lying on the floor with Doumeki on top of him looking mischievous – not a good thing. Well not exactly not good, it really depends on the TPO*. And this is defiantly wasn't the time, place nor occasion.

Nope, absolutely not – even if Doumeki looked devilishly sexy (with emphasis on the devil part) and so what if the last week they hadn't so much as touched each other even by mistake. Really they hadn't kissed or done anything remotely boyfriend-ish. He had a lot to think about, a lot to do, lots of things he could have listed if it weren't for Doumeki's lips, hands and a certain part of his body which at the moment had distracted him…

Well let's just say that by the time the girls and Mokona were allowed to enter the kitchen it was suspiciously sparkling clean with a somewhat disheveled Doumeki and Watanuki and a huge cake right there in the center. Watanuki was happy it was still intact. That brute, Doumeki had nearly ruined it--Several times!

But now looking at the girls' expression he felt that all the troubles he had to go through (well okay – maybe not all of it was trouble) were worth it. Naturally in that exact moment, Mokona had decided to jump right into the cake thus destroying Watanuki's creation. Watanuki, enraged, could only chase Mokona with the intent to murder, while Doumeki and the girls had begun to eat the remainder of the cake.

In passing, between eating the cake and staring at Watanuki, Doumeki was beginning to feel these things are starting to become normal – whatever normal is. After all he had Watanuki and a cake…

* * *

*TPO means time, place, occasion i.e. the overall social situation. I saw this expression on Shimada Hisami mange "Kakeochi Kakugo" (Vol.2 Ch.4 P.142) and I thought it was something Watanuki would think.


End file.
